Injunction Vacated in Reynolds, CDK Antitrust Case

Injunction Vacated in Reynolds, CDK Antitrust Case

November 7, 2017 — Score this as a big win for Reynolds and Reynolds and CDK Global in the antitrust lawsuit filed against them by Authenticom. Late yesterday, the United States Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit out of Chicago vacated the preliminary injunction the lower district court in Wisconsin had awarded Authenticom in…

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Lutz Predicts End of Automotive in 20 Years, Do the Math, It Ain’t Happening

Lutz Predicts End of Automotive in 20 Years, Do the Math, It Ain’t Happening

November 6th, 2017 — “The era of the human-driven automobile, its repair facilities, its dealerships, the media surrounding it — all will be gone in 20 years.” So wrote automotive extraordinaire Bob Lutz yesterday for Automotive News as part of its Redesigning the Industry series. Lutz, who is in his mid-eighties, has a rich history… Continue Reading

AutoNation Jumps into Autonomous Driving World with Waymo Partnership

AutoNation Jumps into Autonomous Driving World with Waymo Partnership

November 2, 2017 — AutoNation executives aren’t buying into the hype that the autonomous vehicle era threatens auto retailers’ existence. Instead, the nation’s largest dealer group is getting into the self-driving game, announcing a few minutes ago that it is partnering Waymo, Alphabet Inc.’s autonomous driving company, to “offer strategic capabilities to maximize the life… Continue Reading

Observations About Fair’s Recent $1 Billion Capital Raise

Observations About Fair’s Recent $1 Billion Capital Raise

October 21, 2017 – On Friday, Scott Painter’s newest venture, an online used car leasing app called Fair, announced it has secured offers for nearly $1 billion in combined capital from two separate groups of investors. The $1 billion is in addition to a soon to-be-completed round of financing from a group that includes BMW i…

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Cliff Banks - The Banks Report

Dealer Files Class Action Lawsuit Against DMS Vendors

October 20, 2017 — Teterboro Chrysler Dodge Jeep Ram filed a class action lawsuit yesterday against Reynolds and Reynolds and CDK Global alleging various antitrust violations. The case was filed in United States District Court in the New Jersey District. Teterboro, who is a Reynolds and Reynolds client, alleges the two companies during the period… Continue Reading

TBR 3rd Quarter 2017 Auto Retail Vendor M&A Report

TBR 3rd Quarter 2017 Auto Retail Vendor M&A Report

October 9, 2017 — IHS Markit’s acquisition of Automotive Mastermind, one of the year’s biggest U.S.-based deals, brought an active third quarter to a close last week. The other big story of the quarter — and perhaps the year — is the nearly $200 million invested in six startups specializing in online automotive transaction solutions.…

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Cliff Banks - The Banks Report

Top Dealer Files Explosive Lawsuits Against BMW, Audi

September 7, 2017 —  Several dealerships owned by the Braman Automotive Group filed three lawsuits this week against Audi and BMW in federal court alleging their business practices drive down dealership profit margins while coercing them to give up control of their businesses. Two of the lawsuits also include Terry Rhodes, Florida’s Executive Director of…

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Cliff Banks - The Banks Report

Antitrust Lawsuit Update — Reynolds and Reynolds Hit with Third Lawsuit

September 5, 2017 — The lawsuits are piling up and more are on the way. Late last month, Superior Integrated Solutions (SIS), owner of Darwin Automotive, became the third dealership vendor to file a lawsuit against Reynolds and Reynolds since February alleging anti-competitive practices. At issue are the policies and practices Reynolds and CDK Global…

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VC Firms Like Online Transaction Apps in Auto Retail

VC Firms Like Online Transaction Apps in Auto Retail

August 24, 2017 —  (Originally published on LinkedIn) Since July, venture capital firms have invested $159.2 million into the automotive retail industry. And all of the capital is going into five companies whose solutions focus on online transactions. Overall, there have been 20 total deals since January in the industry — eight investments, 10 acquisitions… Continue Reading